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l. J. KEYS. ARCH SUPPORT. APPUCATION FILED IAN .25. 19I8.

317,021 Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

0 I) t 10" ZUIIIHIIIEJ amwmto'c Jamesjli'e ys JAMES J. KEYS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

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Specifiization of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,748.

To all whom it may concern lie it known that I, James J. KEYS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New Yorlg'liave invented new and useful particularly to prevent a twisting of the shank with reference to the sole and the heel, which twisting sometimes takes place when the wearers foot is not accurately centered over the shank or is pushed to one side or the other in the act of walking. We often observe shoes whose heels are .run over or worn away at one side. This condition flows from the fact that the wearer is not accustomed to put his or her foot squarely down onto the ground, and the usual remedy is metallic heel plates which prevent the rapid wear of the heel. But I find that the custom of so handling the foot as to run over the heel also has its effect on the shank of the shoe, and if the habit is excessive the shank is sometimes twisted to such an extent that it is loosened from the heel and perhaps torn from the upper. The purpose of the present invention is to amplify the structure of my patented arch sup port so as to give it greater rigidity at both its front and rear ends, thereby rendering it useful for preventing a twlsting of the shank as well as preventing a falling of the same under the influence of a falling arch or wear by a flat-footed person. Thisobject is i A. still further object of the invention is carried out by providing the device with flanges at its front and rear ends, as more specifically described below and shown in the drawings herein.

A further object of the invention resides in the rovision of an arch support whereby the weight of the body will be equally applied to the heel and arch portions of the shoe and thereby operate to produce a natural and perfect balance to the body of the wearer while walking.

to provide an arch support adapted for rigid application against the under surface of the shank, and a spring secured to the most prominently arched side of the plate which will operate to lift the shank in an upward direction and establish a cushioning effect against the arch of the foot. I find that by adding a spring to the structure and interposing the same between the plate and the shank of the shoe, it has a prominent tendency toward holding the foot in proper place and preventing the foot from being crowded to the forepart of the shoe. As a further purpose for providing this arrangement, I have in mind eliminating those conditions between the foot and arch which commonly are the direct cause of corns and bnnions, stagnation of the ligaments and the creation of undue pressure on the sides of the joints and toes While the user is in the act of walking.

Figure 1, is an inverted perspective view of the arch support showing the same applied.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of the arch support detached from the shoe.

Fig. 3, is a sectional view on the line 3--3, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is a sectional view on the line 4-4, of Fig. 1.

As to the shoe, it is necessary only to refer to the heel H and shank S, and while I speak of shoe herein the piece of foot wear might obviously be a boot. My improved arch support consists of a metallic plate 1 having preferably the contour shown in Fig. 1 which is a bottom plan view of the left shoe. The companion plate will be correspondingly shaped to fit the right shoe, but need not be shown or described herein. This plate is to be secured by screws 2 or other similar fastening devices to the bottom of the shank S. By preference the plate is provided with a medial longitudinally disposed rib 3 as set forth in prior patent already referred to, the center of this rib being rather deep or pronounced, while its ends fade out or terminate short of the front and rear ends of the plate itself. This rib defines two leaves respectively numbered at t and 5 in the drawings, the leaf .4 at the outer side of the rib being curved upward orarched longitudinally to correspond with the longitudinal curvature of the shank S, while it is practically flat transversely. The leaf 5 at the other side of lhe rib is curved upward for arched both longitudinally and trans.

extremely obtuse angle to each other like the sides of a roof of .which' the rib 3f constitutes the ridge... 'Theplate-l, is now ;I hipped across its frontend to forma angular panel 6; andwhen the'plate is-produced by stamping, as will .d OllblllQSS-fbBff the case, the presence of the panel 6 gives great rigidity to the front end of the plate. At its rear end the latter is provided with a depending flange 7 which-lies against the, front face of the heel H asseenf' in Fig. 1

and is curved to conform therewith as seen in Fig. 1. In Fig. 4 I have shownapartof the leaf 4 as broken away and the flange *7 I have provided with holes 8, although this is a detail which may or may not be' emf ployed and which may be usedor not if it is employed. WVhile screws or other fastenv ing devices 2 .pass'through the leaves into the shank 'I may use screws or other fastening devices passing through-the holes 8 into the heel H or not as desired, and contact-with the sides of the shoe at points have indicated three of them at 9 in full lines in Fig. 1.

. The manner of forming and applying this plate will now.be obvious. Its use as an arch support is substantially the same as that set forth in my prior patent, and need not be repeated here. The advantage of'the-hipped panel 6 is that it gives greater rigidity 'to the front end of the plate and therefore more firmly supports the forward portionjof the shank S. Theiadvantageof the flange 7 (which should be in strictfco'n tact with the heel H whether it is fastened thereto or not) is that it both greater rigidity to-the. rear end of the plate'l and prevents a lateral motion of the heel with respect to the shank, so that in effect. and

the shank of the shoe. theen'ds of the spring be secured to the plate- *by means of rlvets 11 and that the spring be to quite an extent it overcomes therocking of the shank brought about by the peculiar 5 manner in which some persons handle their feet as above suggested. Even if the flange face of the'heel possesses'a's seen ,-in-Fig. 2 5

and which the fiange shouldfollow closely,

will prevent a movement of the heel from side to side, because such is'resisted by the plate fastened to the shank. I

: Secured atone end to the most prominently arched or curved portion of the plate is a leaf'spring 10, which operates to uplift I It is preferred that bowed in an upward direction .so that its pressure will'be fully applied to the shank of the shoe'when the plate is-fastened in itsintended position. One'end of thesp-ring ,is slotted at '11; where it engages with the 7 next adjacent fastening rivet so that the spring will freely adapt itself to movements of the shank of the shoe. In this manner I correct 'that' tendency of the foot tocreep toward the forepart of the, shoe." In other words the foot is uniformly held in proper .-position above the shank at all times and the ligaments of the foot are therefore held against undue" pressure through" possible in advance of the arch. This further serves to prevent stagnation and materially cor-w .by the'plate and serving to establish pressure in an upward direction against the shank of the shoe to yieldingly advance the .same against the arch of the foot.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES J. KEYS. 

